Naughty or Nice?
by MiLadyofNight
Summary: It's the Christmas season in Storybrooke and Belle has a dilemma
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: It's been a while since I last wrote fan fiction so I hope you enjoy reading this. Reviews and constructive criticism always welcome. This will be a two parter story.

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><p><em>Santa Claus is coming to town!<em>

Belle hummed along to the Christmas song on the CD player as she ensured everything was in place for the library's Santa's Grotto opening at 10am. With two and a half hours to go, all she needed to do was get changed into her outfit and wait for Happy to arrive to be Santa. The phone rang and Belle answered it cheerfully. "Hello?"

"Belle" said Happy's apologetic voice from the other end of the line. "I'm not able to be Santa today. I'll spare you the details but I'm too ill to leave the house. I think it must've been something I ate last night. I am so sorry"

"That's fine. I hope you get better soon. Bye!" Belle said kindly, not wanting to make Happy feel guilty. As soon as she hung up the phone, her calm demeanour turned to panic. She had a Santa's Grotto with no Santa, and just under two and a half hours to find a replacement or else she'd be faced with a lot of disappointed children. Picking up the phone, she quickly dialled Doc's number. After all, he'd been her second choice for Santa when all seven dwarves decided to audition for the role.

"Hello?" answered Doc.

Belle breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Doc, I'm so glad I got hold of you! Can you do me a favour? Happy's had to pull out of being Santa at the last minute and I need a replacement. Can you do it?"

There was a pause. "I'm really sorry, Belle, but I've made other plans" replied Doc regretfully. "It's too late to cancel them".

Belle felt like screaming in terror, the Grotto's opening drawing ever nearer and still no Santa to be found. However, she kept her voice bright and breezy. "No problem. I'm sure I can find someone else, bye!"

Belle immediately crossed the next five dwarves off her list of potential Santas. Sneezy was working, Bashful was too shy, Sleepy wouldn't be able to stay awake, Dopey was his usual mute self, and Grumpy was still in the sheriff station after last night's drunken antics. Belle had an idea, she ran outside to the holding pen where Anna and Kristoff were feeding carrots to Sven the reindeer. "Kristoff, I need you to be Santa!" cried Belle.

"What? No way" replied Kristoff. "I don't do great around little kids"

"Oh come on" Anna chided. "You grew up with twenty brothers and sisters and you've got about thirty nieces and nephews"

"First off, they were rock trolls, not small humans with sticky hands and runny noses" protested Kristoff. "Secondly, I had six brothers and sisters and only 12 nieces and nephews. Did they not teach you to count at princess school?"

"I never went to princess school, I was home tutored!" argued Anna. "And if you don't like kids, how are you going to cope when we have a baby of our own?"

"Our baby will be our own little mini us so that makes it okay and are we really having a discussion about having a baby?" Kristoff's demeanour changed in an instant.

"Oh my god we are!" laughed Anna. "I was thinking we could have a boy and a girl and Elsa could babysit and she could teach them how to build snowmen..."

Belle left Anna and Kristoff to their discussion about starting their own family. She had a Santa to find. She saw Charming and Hook sat outside Granny's diner and raced over. "Charming, I need to ask a favour!" Belle panted.

Charming listened to Belle's request and politely turned her down. "Neal was up all night with teething and Snow needs me to look after him whilst she gets some sleep" was his excuse.

"I suppose I could give it a go" volunteered Hook.

Belle forced a smile. Hook was nowhere near who she'd envisioned as Santa, but beggars can't be choosers, and a Santa was better than no Santa at all. "I've got a few more enquiries to make, but I'll keep you in mind. Thanks!" she said, hoping, praying, that she found someone else.

"No offence, but I don't think the kids would appreciate a Santa with a hook for a hand." Charming commented to Hook as Belle left.

Belle hurried along the street to ask the one person she had left who could be a potential Santa otherwise Hook would get the role. She expected him to say no, the Grinch had more Christmas spirit than he did, but if he didn't agree when she needed his help then she would make sure he spent Christmas sleeping on the couch. The bell jangled as Belle entered Rumplestiltskin's shop.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" smiled Rumplestiltskin as he emerged from the back of the shop.

Belle decided to get straight to the point. "I need you to be Santa".

Rumplestiltskin looked puzzled. "I thought Happy was Santa?"

"He's not well" explained Belle. "Please, Rumple, otherwise I'll have to ask Hook"

Rumplestiltskin saw the pleading look in Belle's eyes. As much as he really didn't want to dress up in a cheap suit and false beard, he couldn't refuse Belle in her hour of need and he was loathe to force her to beg the pirate for help. "Okay" he relented.

"Thank you" beamed Belle as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Rumplestiltskin reciprocated the gesture, wondering what the children of Storybrooke had in store for him.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: So I wasn't expecting the majority of the characters in this fic to be out of town by the end of the winter finale. I hope you enjoy reading this. Reviews and constructive criticism always welcome.

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><p>In the quiet corner of the library where Belle had set up the grotto, Rumplestiltskin sat wearing the full Santa costume in the designated chair, watching the clock tick closer to 10am with trepidation. A red suit and false white beard were the only things standing between him being seen as a benevolent Christmas entity and the feared dark one. He could curse that dwarf for being ill at the last minute. At least he got to appreciate Belle looking lovely in her red and white fur trimmed dress as "Santa's helper" so there was an upside to this whole experience.<p>

Belle paced anxiously, a couple of minutes to go and then the library's Santa's grotto would be open for business. She could hear the children's delighted squeals as they saw Sven outside. "Don't you dare make any deals with the children" Belle warned her husband.

"I wasn't planning to, Sweetheart" Rumplestiltskin replied solemnly. He wanted this little venture of Belle's to be a success; he knew how much it meant to her and it worried him greatly that anyone recognising him would ruin the whole thing.

"It's time" Belle said nervously, taking several deep breaths to calm herself as she approached the library doors to open them.

Meanwhile, outside, Anna beamed as the children crowded around to take it in turns to feed carrots to Sven who appeared to be having the time of his life, even Kristoff seemed to be enjoying himself. "Look, mommy, it's a real reindeer!" she heard one little girl cry excitedly.

A bucktoothed boy approached the pen. "Hey, who's the funky looking donkey?" he asked.

"Sven" answered Anna with a smile.

"And who's the reindeer?" questioned the boy.

"Sven?" repeated Anna confused.

"Oh, okay!" replied the boy happily as he held out a carrot to Sven.

"You'd think the kids would realise Santa is just some guy in a suit" Kristoff whispered to Anna.

"Sshhhh!" Anna hissed, smacking Kristoff on the arm and checking to see none of the children had heard him. "It's Christmas, it's all part of the fun!"

"If you say so" muttered Kristoff. He heard Belle announce to the waiting parents that the library grotto was now open and soon the crowd of children dispersed, the last few stragglers being coaxed to join the growing queue for Santa by their parents.

Inside, Rumplestiltskin was faced with the first of the long line of children he would be seeing today. She was a smartly dressed child with a bow in her blond curly hair. She did not smile, her disgusted glances at the other children evidence of an already ingrained snobbish attitude. "Hello, little girl. What would you like for Christmas?"

"I want a pony" came the clipped reply.

"Darling, we talked about this" said the girl's mother meekly, twiddling with her pearl necklace. "Santa doesn't have room in his sleigh for a pony"

"Do be quiet, mother" retorted the girl. "Santa will do what I tell him"

Rumplestiltskin gritted his teeth, trying to resist the temptation to turn the spoilt brat into a toad. "Your mother is right, there's not enough room in my sleigh for a pony"

The girl glared at him. "Well then take out the other presents until there is room"

"What is your name, little girl?" Rumplestiltskin asked the unpleasant girl somewhat evenly.

Belle tried to give her husband a warning look. His tone was dangerously sweet and she could tell he was thinking of some way to teach the girl a lesson.

The girl answered defiantly. "Clara Abbington"

Rumplestiltskin grinned. He'd remember that girl's name should she ever approach him to make a deal as an adult. In the meantime, he had a plan. "Well, Clara Abbington, I'll see what I can do". He handed Clara a red present from the sack beside him, subtly using magic to make it that extra bit special. "Merry Christmas"

Clara accepted the gift and smiled smugly at her mother, unaware of the several eight legged surprises waiting inside the package.

As Clara left, Rumplestiltskin made eye contact with Belle. She raised her eyebrow in suspicion, and Rumplestiltskin couldn't help but smirk. He knew she'd give him a stern talking to if she found out what he did but it would be worth it for the satisfaction he currently felt.

Belle watched her husband like a hawk as the hours passed and the queue of children waiting to talk to "Santa" dwindled. Satisfied that her husband wasn't pulling any tricks with the presents, she glanced at the clock to see what time it was. It was 2pm, the grotto's closing time, and with only two children left, Belle figured it wouldn't hurt to stay open an extra fifteen minutes. The last people in line were Robin with Roland. "Hey, how are you?" Belle greeted.

"Roland's been looking forward to this all week" Robin replied as the last child in front of them moved forward to speak to Santa.

"Daddy, when's it my go?" whined Roland, tired from standing for so long.

Robin stroked his son's hair. "When that little girl has finished then it will be your turn".

Roland sighed heavily. His legs ached and he was bored. Finally the girl in front left with her present and Roland moved forward whilst Robin continued to talk to Belle.

Rumplestiltskin remembered the little boy stood in front of him. He remembered the terrified expression as he had an arrow pointed at his face and threatened with death unless his father gave up Regina's heart. Rumplestiltskin felt guilty for that, it was not something he had wanted to do, he had no choice, but now he had the chance to make it up to the child. "Hello, little boy. What would you like for Christmas?"

Roland shrugged. "I'd like a red fire engine that lights ups but Daddy said I might not be able to have one this year because they're too expensive".

Rumplestiltskin looked at the forlorn child in front of him then at Robin talking to Belle. "Why don't I see what I've got left in my bag of presents". Picking up the now almost empty sack, Rumplestiltskin transformed a colouring book into a light up fire engine in blue wrapping paper and handed it to Roland.

Roland's eyes went wide with awe and he eagerly took his gift. "Thank you Santa!" he exclaimed. He shouted across to Robin happily. "Daddy, look what I've got!"

"That's wonderful" Robin smiled, pleased that his son was thrilled with his gift. Robin said goodbye to Belle and left with Roland, who was begging to be allowed to open the present there and then.

As Rumplestiltskin stood up, feeling slightly numb from being sat down too long, Belle casually strolled over to him. "I don't remember filling that sack with anything but colouring books." She remarked, wrapping her arms round his neck.

Rumplestiltskin pulled down his beard and put his hands on her waist. "Well it must've slipped in there by mistake." He leant down and kissed her.

Belle pulled back. "I know you did something to that rude little girl's present. If I wasn't so touched by what you did for Roland, I'd be mad at you right now"

"So am I on your naughty or nice list?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he nuzzled Belle's cheek.

"We'll see" replied Belle, entwining her fingers in his hair and leading her husband towards the private quarters of the library.


End file.
